Keywords
noncommunicable diseases - diabetes - obesity - sleep disorders - sleep apnea
Introduction: The association between sleep disorders (SD) and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)
is well established but often overlooked. Most SD are NCDs themselves and risk factors
for prevalent NCDs, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, obesity,
and mental health disorders. Since 2022, our multisectoral alliance has been working
to engage decision-makers and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in SD prevention and
care.
Objective: Raise awareness of the importance of preventing and treating SD as a key component
to reduce premature mortality from NCDs, improve mental health and well-being, and
achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 (SDG 3.4) by 2030.
Methods: Among the activities we have been undertaking are: a) organizing online and in-person
events to educate stakeholders and reach consensus; b) developing informative materials
for HCPs and decision-makers, and calls-to-action directed mainly at the Ministry
of Health; c) proposing public hearings and policies in partnership with parliamentarians;
d) submitting articles to international journals; and e) recommending the inclusion
of SD in the National Health Plan, in the National Clinical and Therapeutic Guidelines
for NCDs, and the development of a National Guideline and Line of Care for SD.
Results: Some of the latest achievements include: a) the Secretary of Health of São Paulo,
the largest Brazilian city, will start a pilot Line of Care for SD, and the Ministry
of Health is adding questions on SD to the Brazilian National Survey on NCDs and risk
factors (VIGITEL), both announced at our largest annual meeting in April 2024, inspired
by the discussions we have been promoting; b) 2,000 print materials sold out in a
few weeks, prompting a reprint; c) support for a National Parliamentary Sleep Health
Front, with a public hearing on the topic already scheduled for the end of 2024; d)
an opinion article published in the BMJ in November 2023; and e) our recommendations
for SD diagnosis and care included in the National Health Plan 2024-2027, as well
as in the National Clinical and Therapeutic Guidelines for type 2 diabetes.
Conclusion: We will continue advocating, alerting, and educating decision-makers and healthcare
professionals on this matter to ensure that the evidence on the key role of preventing
and treating SD is integrated into policies, programs, and practices.
